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50 SMT Magazine • August 2014 ping structures which occur on dual sided PCBs. These may not be easily inspectable even using a different angle of view. 3D X-ray Designed to overcome the deficiencies of 2D X-ray technology, 3D X-ray is the inspec- tion tool required when all other methods fail. With increasing board complexity and density, both visual and electrical inspection technolo- gies (AOI, ICT, 2D X-ray) are faced with limited to no-testing and inspection access. 3D X-ray is the only non-destructive inspection technology capable of inspecting high-density dual-sided PCB assemblies. Computer processing of a series of 2D X- ray images enabled inspection of virtual cross- sections at different slice height, minimizing problems with overlapping structures on dual- sided PCBs and multi-layer components. There are three main 3D X-ray technologies, each of which has its own advantages and shortcom- ings. In the next section, we will go over their individual differences and applications. Figure 4: laminographic slice images have low contrast, but retain sharp edges. Each slice needs to be scanned separately, requiring additional time. Figure 5: laminography utilizes a steerable X-ray source and a rotating detector to blur out objects that are not on the focal plane. INtRODuCtION tO INLINE aXI tEChNOLOgy continues aRTIClE